All The Big Winners From The 2018 Fashion Awards

All The Big Winners From The 2018 Fashion Awards

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex presents the award for British Designer of the Year Womenswear Award to Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy during The Fashion Awards 2018 In Partnership With Swarovski at Royal Albert Hall on December 10, 2018 in London, England.

Last night saw the great and the good of the fashion set descend on London's Royal Albert Hall to celebrate the best of the industry at the annual Fashion Awards. The ceremony, hosted by comedian Jack Whitehall and model-activist Alek Wek, was a sparkling affair held in partnership with Swarovski. So, who took home the prestigious accolades this year? Let's get right into it.

Richard Quinn picked up the award for British Emerging Talent Womenswear just 11 months after his buzzworthy London Fashion Week debut, which saw Anna Wintour and HRH The Queen sit front row at his show. Quinn has championed arts education since his emergence on the scene, with the audience of his spring 2019 show made up of GCSE and A-level art students from the London state school he attended, along with print students from Central Saint Martins.

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From one royal-approved designer to the next: the British Designer of the Year Womenswear award was presented to Clare Waight Keller at Givenchy by none other than Meghan Markle, whose appearance at the awards was a surprise to everyone – including the designer. The Duchess of Sussex gave a touching speech about the importance of supporting designers who not only make beautiful clothes but who represent your values, too. "When I met her for the first time 11 months ago, I knew that we'd be working very closely together," she said before announcing Keller as the winner.

It was a great night for strong women with innovative visions, as Miuccia Prada was given the Outstanding Achievement Award by director Steve McQueen and actress Uma Thurman, honoring the designer's great contributions to the industry. Joining previous winners Karl Lagerfeld, Anna Wintour, and Donatella Versace, the award celebrates Prada's extraordinary career, from her position as Prada's creative director for the past 40 years to her unconventional eye and ability to transcend seasonal trends. "We are thrilled to honor Miuccia Prada for being an incredible design maverick and for spearheading the evolution of the Prada group from a family business to a global brand," said Caroline Rush, CEO of the British Fashion Council.

Another incredible female fashion figure to be awarded was Dame Vivienne Westwood, who was presented with the Swarovski Award for Positive Change by model Jerry Hall. "She has led the way championing humanitarian and environmental issues, making her one of the most respected designers in the fashion industry and a great inspiration to us all," Rush said of Westwood. "Her most recent campaign has led more businesses in the fashion industry in the UK to 'Switch to Green Energy' and she continues to inspire many more to do the same."

With the pressing conversation around sustainability in fashion, it felt fitting that the Special Recognition Award for Innovation went to a brand holding the industry responsible for its environmental impact: Parley for the Oceans. The label, founded by Cyrill Gutsch, highlights the devastation plastic wreaks on our oceans by collaborating with designers like Nike and Stella McCartney to reinvent the way fashion is produced and consumed.

Gucci was recognized as Brand of the Year, with the award accepted by creative director Alessandro Michele, while its president and CEO, Marco Bizzarri, won Business Leader for the third year in a row.

Gurls Talk founder Adwoa Aboah was nominated once again for Model of the Year (she picked up the award last year, wearing a shimmering Michael Halpern dress) alongside Bella Hadid, but Kaia Gerber collected the award, thanking her supermodel mother Cindy Crawford, who was in attendance with her.

Photographer duo Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott were presented with the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator by Kate Moss and Penélope Cruz. The accolade celebrates fashion's most innovative players – past winners include makeup maestro Pat McGrath, photographer Nick Knight, and the late professor of fashion design, Louise Wilson – and over their 25 years in the business, Mert and Marcus have helped shape the image of brands like Calvin Klein, Givenchy, and Miu Miu.

Dior Homme designer Kim Jones was named the Fashion Awards' 2018 Trailblazer, while Virgil Abloh not only won the Urban Luxe award for Off-White but presented Samuel Ross for A-COLD-WALL* with the British Emerging Talent Menswear Award. Much-lauded designer Pierpaolo Piccioli won the big Designer of the Year award, for his work at Valentino, Craig Green took home British Designer of the Year Menswear, and Demna Gvasalia won Accessories Designer of the Year for Balenciaga.